Avalanche forecast

East Slopes North

Northwest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

On Tuesday, you can trigger wet avalanches on steep slopes where you find weak, wet snow. Minimize your time near steep overhead terrain and cornices. If you see natural, wet avalanches, stick to slopes less than 35 degrees. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    Light rain will continue to fall on the recent snow. Most wet avalanches will be small, but they could be very reactive. Wet avalanches can be forceful enough to injure you or push you into other hazards, even if they're not big enough to bury you.

    Check the upper snowpack for moist weak snow. If you find this, use caution on steep slopes over 35 degrees. Use caution near cornices and minimize your time under them. They can often fall with wetting and warming temperatures. 

    (11/17/2025)

    An example of a small (D1) wet avalanche on Hwy 20. This occurred around 11/14-15 on the closed roadway.

    Photo: WSDOT

Avalanche Discussion

Light rain and very warm temperatures will continue with partly cloudy skies east of the Cascade Crest. East of the crest, there could be a light freeze overnight with clear skies. On Monday, an observer in the Silver Star area reported warming temperatures and light drizzle by late morning. Snow surfaces were becoming sticky and moist.

On Sunday, an NWAC forecaster in the Blue Lake area reported minor cracking in wind-drifted snow and easy triggering of loose avalanches in sheltered terrain. They also watched a sluff trigger a very shallow slab avalanche below cliffs. A stormy week delivered 2-3 feet of snow over a crust since March 8th. Over the weekend, observers reported widespread, mostly soft, avalanches up to size D2. On Saturday, a skier was caught, but uninjured, in a wind slab avalanche on a southeast aspect at 7600ft near Kangaroo Ridge.

There have been no recent observations of avalanches running on older persistent weak layers from mid-February. With all the recent snow, these weak layers are worth keeping in mind. The 2/13 facets above the 2/7 crust can still be found on a variety of aspects and elevations about . 

Regions covered